The News Tribune welcomes letters and endorsements from residents about the candidates running for local elections on November 7.

Election letters should be no more than 400 words and must include the writer’s name, address and daytime phone number. (Phone number is for verification purposes only and will not be published.) Letters will be published on our Forum pages and posted in the Letters section of wickedlocal.com/Waltham.

Letters are due no later than 9 a.m. Monday for publication in that week’s edition. There will be no election letters published in the edition immediately prior to the election. The final deadline for election letters is 9 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 23, for publication in the October 27 edition. Letters will be published as space permits. If more letters are received than can be published in any issue, we will publish a representative sample. All letters will be posted online.

Unsigned letters, third-party letters and form letters will not be published. The editor reserves the right to limit the number of letters published by the same writer. We require a civil tone and reserve the right to reject letters considered unfit for publication. Only letters from residents will be published. The News Tribune will determine if any other connection to Waltham warrants publication.

In the spirit of Hispanic Heritage Month, La Unida Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda, Fraternity Inc. organized Waltham’s firt Latino Town Hall Sunday, October 10, in an effort to introduce Latino voters to the candidates running for Waltham’s City Council.

"As the first town hall of its kind, we are encouraged by the outpour of support by the Latino community and the commitment 16 candidates made by joining us for an informative conversation" said Jonathan Paz, Director Civic Engagement of La Unidad Latina’s Greater Boston, Nu Chapter.

With Latinos rising as a voting bloc in Waltham, this election marks an important opportunity for the Latino electorate to shape an unusually contested election season. New challengers are rising to run for seats that have been uncontested in previous election cycles not only in City Council, but also in School Committee. All 15 seats on the city council are up for election on November 7.

With over 50 residents present, the Latino Town Hall took a different approach from the standard political panel. The start of the event was marked by its cultural emphasis on Latino culture and heritage. Bachata music was played in the background to encourage residents to talk to candidates prior to the question-and-answer portion of the panel. Thanks to a donation by local business Despensa Familiar, tacos were served in an effort to create a more intimate environment. Candidates made opening statements to the community at large while questions were collected from the audience.

With seven city counselors and one state representative present, the panel displayed sharp differences in interpreting the city’s commitment to immigrant communities in Waltham. Topics discussed ranged from housing affordability to the adequacy of the budget for bilingual programs in the public school. Candidates differed in interpreting the efficiency of the city’s “Welcoming City” Resolution. Some drew attention to its lack of teeth while other’s contested the notion of a “Sanctuary city” as more hurtful to immigrant populations given President Trump’s recent hostility to the matter.

Jonathan Paz and Marcia Cruz-Redding facilitated the Latino Town Hall. Members of La Unidad Latina worked in conjunction with educators, community organizers, business owners and religious community leaders to make the event a success. With the help of Waltham Partnership for Youth, an interpreter was present to help translate the responses for residents who only spoke Spanish.

Paz said, “With less than 10 days for voter’s to get registered, we are making great strides as a community, learning more about the city's leadership and showing, above all, that Latinos are a force to be reckoned with.”